Electric switch



Jan. 5. 1925.

H. J. H. HUBER ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed April 4, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inv enter: Herman JHHubeT,

H. J. H. HUBER ELECTRIC SWITCH Jan, 6. 1

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 n m @w m vH m I .H t J fl n S a .H.. m w G H Filed April 4, 1922 Patented .Jan. 6, 1925.

UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERMAN J. H. HUBER, OEE SCHENECTADY, YORK, ASSIGN OR T0 GENERAL ELEC- TRIO COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

' Application filed April 4,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMAN J. H. HUBER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Schenectady, in the county of Schenectady, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Switches, of which the following is a specification. r

My invention relates to electric switches and more particularly to operating mechanisms for circuit breakers, especially such as have relatively movable contacts separable in an insulating fluid, and has for an object to provide an improved trip free operating mechanism which is compact and simple in construction and operation and which is adapted for weatherproof construction and therefore particularly adapted to circuit breakers for outdoor mountings.

My invention will be better understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanyin two sheets of drawings, and its scope wil be pointed out in the appended claims.

Fig. 1' is a Vertical eleyation partly in section, illustrating an embodiment of my invention in a three-pole circuit breaker shown in thecircuit closed position; Fig. 2 is a broken vertical elevation to a different scale, illustrating a manually operated remote control mechanism for the circuit breaker shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 1, showing but one pole of the circuit breaker which is illustrated as tripped and in the circuit open position; and Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 3, illustrating the circuit breaker operating mechanism in position for closing the circuit breaker.

For the purpose of illustration, I have shown my invention embodied in a threepole circuit breaker of the type having rela-, tively fixed and movable cooperating contacts 1 'and 2, respectively, which may be separable in an insulating fluid. The fixed contacts 1 are supported by insulators 3 mounted in the frame 4 of the circuit breaker and the movable contacts 2 are carried by suitable operating rods 5 arranged to be biased to circuit opening position by gravity preferably assisted-by s rings 6. In circuit breakers of the type i ustrated, the movable contacts 2 are usually arranged to have rectilinear motion and for this pur- 1922. Serial No. 549,566.

pose there in provided an operating mechan1sm comprising one or more parallel motion mechanisms ada ted to be actuated by operating members i secured to shafts 8. Each parallel motionmechanism may com prlse a link 9 secured to its respective shaft 8, a link 10 carrying the operating-rod 5 and a guide link 11, the links 9 and 10 being connected by paralleling links 12. For simultaneous movement of the operating mechanisms, when there are more than one, the operating members 7 are interconnected by one or more links 13.

For actuating the operating mechanism, I provide an actuating means which is independent of the operating mechanism but is adapted to be. interlocked therewith in accordance with my invention as will hereinafter" be more fully described. The actuating means comprises a rotatable shaft 14 which may be mounted in an enlarged portion 15 of the circuit breaker frame and to which is secured a crank 16 having pivotally associated therewith a connecting link 17 that is pivotally associated with the mechanism which interlocks the actuating means and the operating mechanism. The crank 16 andthe connecting link 17 form a toggle which in the closed position of the circuit breaker is preferably overset so as to restrain the shafts 8 against counterclock-v wise rotationathe crank 16 bearing against a stop carried by the cut away portion of circuitbreaker frame 15.

The shaft 14 may be rotated manually with either direct or remote control, and in Fig. 2 I have illustrated a manually operated means adapted for either direct or remote control,,the latter being especially desirable in the case of what are known to the art as outdoor overhead mounted circuit breakers. The circuit breaker may, for ex- 7 ample, be mounted on a suitable framework, poles or the like, and it IS desirable to have the circuit breaker operable from the ground level as well as directly. The remote control operating means illustrated in Fig. 2 comprises an actuating crank 18 secured to the shaft l land connected through a rod or link 19 preferably provided with universal end connections to a crank 20 secured to an operating rod or shaft 21 which is supported in bearings 22, 22 carried by the pole and by a bracket 23, respectively. .The lower end of the operating rod 21 is provided at a suitable distance above the ground level with a crank member 24 on which is pivotally mounted a lever 25 which when turned to the horizontal position provides sufiicient mechanical advantage to enable an operator to turn the operating rod 21 and thus control the circuit breaker and which when turned to the vertical position may be locked in any suitable manner to prevent unauthorized operation of the circuit breaker. For direct control of the circuit breaker, the actuating crank 18 may be provided with a part 26 containing, for example, an opening adapted to receive any suitable lever.

For interlocking the actuating means and operating mechanism, I provide a collapsible or trip free mechanism comprising a pivotally mounted control member 27 which may be mounted coaxially with one operating member 7, the control member 27 being free to turn on the shaft 8 and pivotally associated with the connecting link 17. Pivotally associated with the control member 27 is an interlocking member 28 which is provided with means such as a notch 29 adapted to engage one of the operating members 7 and which may have a plurality of arms 30, 31, one bein adapted to engage a. pivotally mounted latc ing member 32 and another being arranged to be freely supported by and movable on the operating member 7. For this purpose, the operating member 7 is preferably provided wit-h a roller 33 adapted to engage the notch 29 and also for rolling contact with the arm 30. The latching member 32 is pivotally mounted to move easily and freely and may be mounted on the shaft 8. The latching member 32 is preferably arranged to have its'movement in either direction limited by stops 34, 35 mounted on the control member 27, stop 34 serving to carry the latching member 32 into latching position when it becomes necessary to interlock the actuating means and operating mechanism.

For tripping the latch 32 automatically, I provide one or more electroresponsive devices which may be mounted in a casing 36 secured to the circuit breaker frame 15. Plungers 37 controlled b the electrorespom Sive devices are arrange to strike tripping fingers 38 which extend under the tail 0 the latching member 32 and which when actuated by the plungers 37 move the latching member 32 to release the same from the arm 31 of the interlocking member 28. I also prefer to provide means for tripping the latching member 32 manually. TlllS means comprisesacanting member 39 pivotally associated with theorank 16 and arranged to have a limited movement relative thereto. The canting member 39 is provided with a shoulder arranged to engage an extension of the trippin finger 38 so that upon a slight countercloc ise rotation of the shaft 14, the canting member 39 will turn the tripping finger 38 into a position to strike the tail of the latching member 32 and cause the same to be disengaged from the interlocking 'member 28.

It is therefore obvious that a construction and arrangement of parts such as is embodied in my invention provides a compact, slmple and improved trip free operating mechanism which is particularly adapted to be housed in a weatherproof casing or cover 40 that is relatively small and readily applied to the circuit breaker.

Assuming the parts of the circuit breaker to be in the circuit closing position as shown in Fig. 1, the operation'is as follows: The control member 27 is restrained by the actuating means comprising the crank 16 and the connecting link 17 forming an overset toggle as heretofore described. The operatin mechanism is interlocked with the actuatlng means by the interlocking member 28 which is restrained by the latching member 32 from clockwise rotation due to the bias of the operating mechanism and operating member 7 tending to cause the latter to rotate counterclockwise over its center. If now one of the tripping fingers 38 is actuated, either by one of the plungers 37 of the electroresponsive devices or by a slight counterclockwise rotation of the shaft 14 as heretofore explained, the latching member 32 will be disengaged from the arm 31 of the interlocking member 28 which will then be free to turn on its pivotal connection to the control member 27. The bias of the operating mechanism will therefore cause the operating member 7 to turn counterclockwise over its center, thus disengaging the operating member 7 from the notch 29 of the interlocking member 28 and the parts will assume the circuit open position shown in Fig. 3. In moving to this position, the operating member 7 freely supports the interlocking member 28 which moves over the operatin member 7 and which is revented thereby roin rotating counte'rcloc wise under its own weight into such a position that it could notbe automatically restored to the interlocking position. In order to relock the operating mechanism and actuating mechanism, the shaft 14 is turned counterclockwise to the position shown in Fig. 4. With .this movement of the shaft 14, the actuating mechanism turns the control member 27 counterclockwise. The control member 27 thus actuates the interlocking member 28 which moves freely on the o erating member 7 into a position in which 1; e notch 29 enga es the operating member 7 and the arm 31 of the interlocking member 28 moves into en gement with the latching member 32 whic is moved into latch engaging position by the stop 34: on the control member 27. The operating mechanism and actuating means are now interlocked and clockwise rotation of the shaft 14 actuates the operating mechanism in a direction to cause the same to close-the c rcuit breaker, the operating mechanism in the circuit closed position being trip free of whatever means ing member pivotally associated with said control member and arranged tomove freely on saidoperating member, and a latching member adapted to engage said interlocking member, said interlocking member having a portionadapted to engage said operating member and interlock the same with said control member when said latching member is in engagement with said interlocking member.

2. An operating mechanism for electric switches, comprising an operating member, a control member, and means for interlocking said members comprising a latching member, an interlocking member pivot-ally associated with said control member, said interlocking member being freely supported by said operating member for movement thereon and biased for engagement with said latching member, and means on said interlocking member adapted to engage said operating member and interlock the same i with said control member when said latching member is in engagement with said interlocking member.

3. An operating mechanism for electric switches comprising a rotatably mounted operating member, a control member mounted coaxially therewith, and means for interlocking said members comprising an interlocking member pivotally associated with said control member and having a plurality of arms, a latching member adapted to engage one of said arms and means on said interlocking member adapted to engage said operating member and interlock the same with said control member when said latching member is in engagement with one of said arms, said interlocking member having another of its arms adapted to engage said operating member when the interlock between said operating and control members is released to maintain said last means in a position to reengage said operating member.

4;. An electric switch comprising relatively fixed and movable cooperating contacts, operating mechanism adapted to be operated to control the movement of said movable contacts, actuating means adapted to be operated to actuate said operating mechanism, mechanism for interlocking said actuating means and said operating mechanism comprising a pivoted member pivotally associated with said actuating means, and an interlocking member pivotally associated with said pivoted member and operable to engage and to disengage said operating mechanism thereby to interlock the same with and to release the same from-said actuating means, and latching means adapted to hold said mechanism rigid whereby said actuating means may be operated to cause said operating mechanism to move said movable contacts to circuit closing position.

5. An electric switch comprising rela-\ tively fixed and movable cooperating contacts, operating mechanism adapted to be operated to control the movement of said movable contacts, actuating means adapted to be operated to actuate said operating mechanism, and trip-free mechanism for interlocking said operating mechanism and said actuating means comprising a single interlocking member pivotally associated with said actuating means, and a latching member adapted to engage said interlocking member, said interlocking member having a portion adapted to engage said operating mechanism and interlock the-same with said actuating means when said latching member is in engagement with said interlocking member.

6. An electric switch comprising relatively fixed and movable cooperating contacts, operating mechanism for moving saidmovable contacts, a rotatable operating member for actuating said operating mechanism, actuating means for actuating said operating member, and mechanism for interlocking said actuating means and said operating member comprising a controlmember pivotally associated with said actuating means and adapted to be turned thereby about an axis substantially co-linear with the axis of rotation of said operating member, an interlocking member pivotally supported at one point by said control member and having a portion adapted to have sliding engagement with said operating mem-v ber, a latching member adapted to engage said interlocking member, said interlocking member having a hook portion adapted to engage said operating member to interlock the same with said actuating means when said latching member is in engagement with said interlocking member.

7 An operating mechanism for an electric switch comprising an operating member, a

control member, means for interlocking said members and a latching member, said means comprising a single member pivotally connected to said control member and having a pair of arms, one of said arms being adapted to engage said latching member and the other of said arms being adapted to slide on said operating member and having a hook portion to engage and retain said operating member. 10

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 3rd day of April, 1922. 4

HERMAN J. H. HUBER. 

